


No matter how many lives that I live, I will never regret

by letmeloveyou814



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Architect!Will, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Fate, Fluff, M/M, Murder Family, Self-Harm, Soulmates, musician!Hannibal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-27 11:23:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21391348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letmeloveyou814/pseuds/letmeloveyou814
Summary: In which Will and Hannibal’s lives reboot after the fall. This Will lived his whole life in England and became an architect while Hannibal is a renowned musician.After meeting for the first time at a gala in Baltimore they both learn something: in every life, no matter the circumstances, Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter are meant for each other.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 9
Kudos: 119
Collections: MHBB2019





	1. It's too much history

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry for the Murder-Husbands Big Bang. It was such a joy to write this! I had never written anything Hannibal themed before and I just jumped right into this. It wasn't always easy, but I love these two and I love how this story turned out.
> 
> Nothing would have been possible without my awesome artist Bees, whose art you can find [right here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21383338). Bees, I am honoured to have worked with you. The dedication and care you put into this brought literal tears to my eyes. The first time I saw your drawings I was breathless, thank you so much for such wonderful art!
> 
> Also, I would like to thank my wonderful friend [lemoncave](http://archiveofourown.org/users/lemoncave/pseuds/lemoncave), who helped me during the hard times of the writing process and even did the beta for most of this, and she's not even in the fandom! My dear, thank you so much, what you do for me means the absolute world, love you!
> 
> Without further ado, here is my Hannigram story, hope you enjoy it!  
Lots of love!

_ The Dragon lay dead on the ground, his wings spreading out in a sea of red around him. Will saw his and the other man’s creation and gasped in awe. How could he have been so blind? This was it, this was what he was meant to do, this was who he was meant to be. No. This was what  _ they _ were meant to be. There was no ‘you’ or ‘me’ or ‘him’ anymore. It was just ‘us’. One soul in two bodies, two sides of the same coin. Two monsters that were one and the same.  _

_ In an instant, Will was hauled to his feet by the other man and felt safer and happier than he had ever felt before, even with every inch of his body covered in blood and in pain. It didn’t matter, nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but the way blood looked black in the moonlight and the heartbeat of the man who held him as if he were the most precious thing in the world. _

_ “See?” He had said. “This is all I ever wanted for you, Will. For the both of us.” _

_ “It’s beautiful,” Will had answered on the verge of tears. Suddenly the world made sense. His darkness and the darkness of the man in his arms made sense. He knew in that moment that, given the chance, he would go through it all over again if it meant that in the end he would be this close to this man. If it meant he would  _ always  _ be close to this man. _

_ Then, he held his monster even tighter and pushed them both off the cliff… _

***

Will awoke startled and breathing heavily, a pool of sweat around him on the bed. At first he was disoriented, like he had been for the past couple of weeks after waking up from these dreams. They were always so violent, he was either covered in blood or someone else was and he always felt powerful. The more blood there was, the more alive he felt. 

The dreams seemed so real though, as if he was remembering instead of dreaming. There was always one element every dream had in common, apart from the blood, and it was  _ that man.  _ Whenever  _ he _ appeared, Will just felt complete, like he had come to fill a missing slot inside of Will he had no idea was there to begin with. But whenever Will woke up, he couldn’t recall what the man looked like. He could feel his presence and warmth in his dreams, but he could never see his face. It always looked dark, covered in shadows, and it made it impossible for Will to  _ see _ him.

Will got up from the bed and headed off to the bathroom to take a shower; nothing else helped him calm down. The dreams confused him to no end. 

As he stood under the warm shower spray, he couldn’t help but think for the hundredth time: why? Who was the other man? And more importantly: who was he? He didn’t feel like himself in those situations but at the same time he felt more like himself than ever. 

Will didn’t understand what the hell was going on. He couldn’t understand why seeing blood in his dreams made him feel so at home when, in the waking world, the very sight of anyone being hurt made him dizzy and nauseous. 

When he got out of the en-suite after his shower, Will could feel the biggest headache coming on and it was only 9 am. He was sure as hell he would feel like dying by the time he would have to go to the fundraiser. Even though the event was for a great cause and he was one of the main stars of the night, he hadn’t been feeling like himself lately and it was all because of those dreams and the uneasy feeling they left him with afterwards. He felt torn apart-like a paper doll who had a piece taken out, and he didn’t know what to do.

In a way, he had sort of felt that way throughout his whole life. Most of the time he got by easily. He had attended the most prestigious schools in England, had graduated with honours and was now a renowned architect. He basically had nothing to complain about. He had had a good life. Sure, he didn’t remember his mother at all, wouldn’t recognise her if she walked next to him on the street, but his father had been an amazing man. It hadn’t been easy for him to leave everything, his country, his life, his hometown, and move to another country. In the end it had paid off. All Will’s father had ever wanted was for him to have a good life. He did have a good life, and he was really grateful to his father and what he had sacrificed for him to get to where he was now. Still, he always had this nagging feeling, this thought on the back of his mind that kept telling him at all times that he didn’t belong, that he was in the wrong place, that he was living the wrong life, and he had never felt it more than right now.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. One minute he was sitting on the hotel room bed and the next he was already in a car, being driven through the streets of Baltimore. 

Will popped a painkiller to stave off the headache he knew he would get, but the ache continued to grow behind his eyes. For most of the ride he tried to keep his eyes closed to avoid the light, but for brief periods of time, when he opened them and looked through the window, he felt a sense of familiarity, a sort of déjà vu as he saw even the most insignificant of stores. It made no sense, really. Will had never been to Baltimore. He had barely even been to the country, even though he was born in Louisiana. Apart from his hometown— which he had never returned to after leaving for England at age 5—he had been to New York a couple of times but that was it. So why, then, did he feel like he knew these streets? Will tried not to dwell too much on this, he had to be his very best tonight.

After a while, the car finally pulled up in front of the stunning Garrett-Jacobs Mansion. Will got out of the car and immediately got goose bumps, suddenly feeling cold all over, as if he had stepped outside after it had snowed. Why did that even happen? It wasn’t even that cold. Will sighed, resigned—this was not going to be a good night.

“Mr. Graham!” Will saw a beautiful woman approaching as soon as he stepped foot inside the building. “I’m Alana Bloom, it’s nice to finally meet you!” She extended her hand for Will to shake, a beaming smile on her red lips.

“Miss Bloom! The pleasure’s all mine.” Will shook her hand and admired the stunning emerald green velvet dress the woman in front of him was wearing.

“Actually, it’s Mrs,” she explained with a small smile, showing off the silver band on her left ring finger. “I hope your stay at the hotel has been pleasant.” She extended her hand to show Will the way to the party.

“Yes, of course, very pleasant,” Will lied as he followed her. The hotel was nice. It was his nightmares that didn’t allow him to fully enjoy it. 

“I apologise for not having been able to meet with you before tonight, organising this whole thing hasn’t been easy.”

“It’s quite alright, honestly,” Will replied, clearing his throat. He suddenly found it hard to breathe, the air growing thicker with each moment. The feeling that he had had since the morning was more present now than ever. He felt wet and sticky all over, felt like he was in his dream, exhausted, panting and covered in blood. When he looked at his hands, though, they were clean, even though he could practically feel the almost black liquid dripping through his fingers.

Alana Bloom looked at him with her brow furrowed, concerned. “Are you alright, Mr. Graham?”

Will snapped his head back up and cleared his throat once more. “Yeah I’m just… jet-lagged, I suppose.”

She looked at him for a moment and then approached the entrance of the ballroom. “This way, Mr. Graham.”

“Please, call me Will, Mrs. Bloom,” Will said with difficulty; it was getting harder and harder to breathe with every passing second.

She smiled brightly. “Then you must call me Alana, Will.” They both stopped at the entrance. “Here we are! I hope you enjoy yourself, Will. There will be a few speeches in a little while. But first, I’d like you to meet some people,” she explained as they moved among Baltimore high society, elegant dresses and sharp suits everywhere.

Will knew there were people about, but his eyes only showed him strange blobs of color. His headache was growing far worse.

“Hannibal!” Alana called to a man a few metres away from them who, as he turned around and saw Will, completely froze in place. When their eyes met, Will’s vision became razor sharp.

The eyes. Where had he seen those eyes before? Before Will could register anything that was happening, a wave of nausea came violently over him. He felt cold all over and the last thing he saw before his vision blurred again was a black animal approaching him. 

And then.

Darkness.

* * *

"Will! Will, wake up!" He could distantly hear a female voice calling his name but it all felt so far away. He was vaguely aware of the cold hard surface he was lying on, of the sound of voices around him but the only thing that felt real were the strong hands touching him. He was so cold everywhere, he felt he was drowning. But the hands… the hands that were moving between his forehead, his neck and his arms were so strong and so, so warm against his skin and they felt like heaven.

"Mr. Graham? Mr. Graham, can you hear me?" a deep voice asked. 

Will tried to slowly open his eyes, trying to get rid of the darkness that surrounded him. Little by little, his eyes adjusted to the light and, squinting, Will was finally able to make out the shape of a man leaning over him. It was the same man that had looked at him before and, as he came to realise right then, the owner of those amazing hands.

“What… How?” Will tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down gently by the man next to him.

“Don’t strain yourself, Mr. Graham, you’ve just regained consciousness, we don’t want you to pass out again,” the man said with a smile. He had a strange accent, like he was a foreigner, but he spoke with such confidence that the idea of him being anything other than perfect at English was odd.

“Pass out?” Will asked, fully aware of the man’s hand never leaving his shoulder, grounding him, warming him all the way to his core.

“Yes, I am afraid that’s what happened, Mr. Graham,” the man, who was now just kneeling beside him, explained.

“Will, are you okay?” Alana asked from his other side. Will hadn’t even noticed her. 

“Yeah, I… I think I am. Can I sit?” he asked, turning to see the man once more.

The man nodded and gently guided Will to a sitting position. When he sat, Will realised that people were staring at him, surrounding their small group in a circle.

“I… What… Where…” Will furrowed his brow, momentarily confused.

“We’re at the gala, Will. Do you remember what happened?” Alana asked, concern evident in her voice.

“I remember having a headache and then I was dizzy and…” Will looked up at the man’s eyes, his gaze intense. There was something about that man that just wasn’t quite right and yet Will felt a sense of belonging he had never felt in his life. He swallowed and looked at Alana again. “And then just darkness.” He purposefully left out the part where he felt like he was covered in blood.

“Mmm… It may be nothing but we should have you checked out still. If you’ll allow me, I would gladly take you to the ER,” the man explained, his eyes never leaving Will’s.

“Uhm… I don’t mean to be rude but… Who are you?”

The man smiled brightly at him, and something about that smile made Will’s chest warm up, as if a candle had been lit inside him. 

“I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself, my name is Hannibal Lecter.”

“I was just about to introduce you when you fainted, Will.” Alana’s smile contrasted with the worry that was still obvious in her eyes. “He’s one of Baltimore’s finest musicians and one of the reasons the new music centre is being built at all.”

“Oh, uhm… Nice to meet you, Mr. Lecter,” Will offered, a bit breathless. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, but he felt he was being pulled towards the other man by an invisible force—in an instant he just knew deep inside that he would never be able to stay away from Hannibal Lecter.

“Now, Alana, I think Mr. Graham here…”

“Will,” he said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Will looked down to his lap, suddenly feeling insecure.

“That’s okay, Will.” Mr. Lecter leaned close for the last word, like it was a secret to be shared between the two of them. “I was saying, Alana, we must not overwhelm Will here, we should go to the hospital immediately.”

Alana shook her head vigorously. “Right, sorry. Let’s go, let’s get you to the hospital,” she said as she stood up quickly.

Mr. Lecter stood up and grabbed Alana’s wrist with a little bit more force than needed. She looked at him wide-eyed. “You must stay, this is your event, Alana,” he explained, a smile on his lips. “Besides, you can’t leave your wife alone, now can you?”

Alana visibly relaxed and sighed. “I suppose you’re right.” Mr. Lecter let go of her and turned to look at Will, still smiling. “Will you be okay?” she asked Will.

“Yeah, I think so.” Will couldn’t take his eyes from Mr. Lecter.

“Are you well enough to get up, Will?” Mr. Lecter offered his hand for Will to take.

“Yes, I think I am.” Will was hauled to his feet and stared into the eyes of the man in front of him. For an instant, as they held each other’s hands, the world around them seemed to disappear. Nothing existed anymore, nothing mattered anymore, the only thing that mattered were the eyes that Will felt were looking at his very soul and the hand holding his was scorching, burning him in the most amazing way.

Alana’s voice snapped him out of the daze he was in. “Okay, go. I’ll handle things here,” she told them, trying to keep people from staring at them more.

“Shall we go, Will?” Mr. Lecter asked with a small smile. 

“Yes, of course.”

* * *

The two men walked next to each other as they exited the building, Mr. Lecter eyeing Will silently with a small smile on his lips, Will feeling the warmth radiating off the other man like a furnace.

After a valet handed Mr. Lecter his car keys, they approached the vehicle and, as they both reached out to open the passenger seat door, their hands touched for an instant before Will retreated his and let Mr. Lecter open the door, flashes of gentle touches and bloody knuckles going through Will's mind.

"Stay right there," Mr. Lecter said once Will was inside the car.

"Where else would I go?" Will replied, but the words tasted weird in his mouth, like he had already said those words to Mr. Lecter before.

Mr. Lecter hurried to the other side of the car and got inside, started it immediately and drove off.

A few minutes of silence passed between them, Will completely aware of the glances Mr. Lecter was giving him.

"How are you feeling now, Will?"

"I'm feeling better." And Will realised it was true, his head didn't even hurt anymore, he was just feeling a bit dizzy but nothing like a few moments ago. For a little while, the silence continued after their little exchange.

"I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this." Will ran a hand through his face, the feeling that he wasn't quite himself returning full force, overwhelming him. "Thank you, Mr. Lecter. You didn't have to drive me all the way to the hospital, especially not tonight."

"It's no problem at all, though I would prefer it if you called me Hannibal, since you insisted on me calling you Will," Mr. Lec- no,  _ Hannibal  _ replied, smiling.

* * *

After making sure Will was okay, and calling Alana to stop her from worrying, the two men walked out of the hospital side by side.

"How well do you know Baltimore, Will?" Hannibal asked, giving him a sideways glance.

"Oh, I actually-" know it very well, was what Will almost said for some reason. He cleared his throat. "I don't know it very well." 

Will was feeling flustered. What was he, a teenager who couldn't control his feelings? He had only met the man this very night, for crying out loud... And yet, he felt an inexplicable pull towards Hannibal, like his very soul longed to be close to him. It made his head dizzy but not like before. This was the good kind of dizzy, the kind where his whole body tingled and his cheeks turned pink at the mere appearance of the tiniest smile in Hannibal's mouth. Will hadn't felt like that in ages. Hell, he probably had never felt like that and he wanted it. He wanted Hannibal, he wanted him desperately, with a force that made him feel invincible.

"Will? Are you there?" Will was pulled out of his thoughts by the other man's question.

"Yeah, I'm... Sorry, I was lost in thought." Will frowned and looked at Hannibal. There was something shining in his eyes. Was he curious? Amused? 

"You were saying?" He didn't want to linger on Hannibal's eyes too much, lest he forget how to talk completely, articulating was already proving quite complicated in the presence of the other man.

"I was simply asking if you would like to take a walk with me, Will. It's a beautiful night and I would love to show you the city." 

And how could Will say no? He hadn't met him more than three hours ago and he already didn't want to leave his side.

A big smile made its way into Will's face as he replied, "I'd love to, Hannibal," and he was met with a blinding one, teeth and all, and Will was happy how the day had turned out after not having started in the best of ways.

* * *

Will hadn't felt light in months. As he woke up the next morning, he realised he hadn't had a nightmare for the first time in a long time and he knew it had everything to do with the amazing man he'd met the night before. Will's cheeks hurt from how much he'd smiled remembering Hannibal ever since he woke up.

_ As they walked through a beautiful park, the two men got to know each other more. Will learned that Hannibal used to be a doctor but retired once he felt he had lost too many patients, and had focused on music instead. The harpsichord wasn't a common instrument but Hannibal found it fascinating and had become one of the best in the country and definitely the best player in all of Baltimore. He learned that he had a sister who still lived in Lithuania (the country where they had both been born) and that he had spent his youth travelling through Europe and exploring ancient art in every museum and church he could possibly find. _

_ In turn, Hannibal learned that Will was actually American (despite his British accent) and that he had decided to become an architect after being enthralled by London's buildings all his life. _

_ Hannibal was by far the most interesting person Will had ever met. He had been a respectable doctor in his time, he knew about art, about literature, about music, of course, and he always seemed to thrive for the better things in life, he always sought for beauty over everything else, and Will was fascinated by that. _

_ Being a person who had more often than not had to put practicality over aesthetics until he became a renown architect and was able to finally do what he wanted instead of what he needed or had to, meeting someone who prioritised beauty was like a breath of fresh air to Will.  _

_ After walking for a while, both men sat down on a bench for a little rest. _

_ "Not fond of eye contact, are you?" Hannibal asked, amused. _

_ Will huffed a laugh. "Sorry, I just... I don't know what's wrong with me today. I haven't been feeling like myself lately." He ran a hand through his face; what was it about Hannibal that made Will want to tell him everything? "I'm sorry if I seem rude or... or uninterested." Will's eyes never left his hands that were on his lap. _

_ "I don't think you're rude, Will." Hannibal's voice was soft. Will could almost feel as if his hands were touching velvet. "Would you like to tell me why you have been feeling like that?" _

_ "I didn't know you were a psychiatrist." _

_ Hannibal smiled brightly "I find psychiatry very interesting and even considered taking it up after I stopped being a surgeon but decided to pursue a career in music. But I was just interested." _

_ "Interested in me? Why? I'm just an architect." _

_ "And a very prominent one. But I'm more interested in you, in your mind, not in your career." _

_ Will was speechless. Stunned and wide-eyed, he lifted his head up and turned to look at Hannibal. _

_ He was suddenly aware of how close they both were, how much heat Will could feel emanating from the other man who was pressed to his side. Will was sure no one had ever looked at him the way Hannibal was right at that moment. His eyes showed nothing but adoration, his posture was relaxed and inviting and his lips were forming a small smile. All in all, Hannibal looked absolutely gorgeous. His suit was still incredibly pristine, even after losing his jacket, which was lying neatly on his lap. His slick-back hair looked almost immaculate and those few strands that were starting to fall over his face and his eyes were shining in the moonlight. _

_ Was it possible to fall in love with someone you've just met? Will hadn't thought it was up until that very moment, when he looked into the other man's eyes and felt as if Hannibal was looking right into his soul. He felt naked and vulnerable but he had never felt more alive. That was when he realised he never wanted to let go of this man. No matter what, he would always be with Hannibal. Through the ups and downs, through the rises and the falls, he could never be apart from him. _

_ "I..." Will was at a loss for words. Unable to tear his eyes away from Hannibal's, he said his next phrase in what he would describe as a whiny, desperate noise (and he couldn't care less about it at the moment) "Will you kiss me, Hannibal?" _

_ Hannibal showed him a beautiful smile. "I thought you'd never ask." And with that, both men got closer and closer until their noses were almost touching. _

_ Then, Hannibal's hand went up to Will's face and cupped his cheek impossibly gently and joined their lips. The feeling Will experienced was unlike anything else he had ever felt before. For some reason, Hannibal tasted like coming home, like nothing had ever been right in his life before they were both tasting each other. Will couldn't help but notice how tender Hannibal's hands on his face were, how soft his lips, and how he kissed him gently, and it made his heart beat wildly in his chest. _

_ When they pulled apart, both laughed softly, foreheads together. _

_ "That was..." Will cleared his throat "Something," was the best thing he could manage. _

_ "Yeah, it was." Hannibal kept smiling even after they got further away, eyes and hands never leaving the other's. "Tell me Will, how long will you be staying in Baltimore?" _

_ "I was supposed to stay a few more days and then go back to London," Will replied with a smile. "But I think London can wait." _

* * *

Will laid in bed, thinking about how wonderful the previous night had been. After their kiss, Hannibal insisted on driving Will back to the hotel and they walked all the way to the car while holding hands. Once again, Will was surprised to see how soft Hannibal actually was. Underneath that tough exterior was a man who treated Will with the utmost respect and affection. Still, he couldn't help but notice how, every time Will looked into Hannibal's eyes, he could almost see flashes of red, like something dangerous and hungry was lurking inside, waiting to get out. The contrast between all of these aspects made Will's heart skip a beat. He had never been this fascinated and terrified in his entire life and it made him feel alive.

Will's phone beeped from the bedside table—it was a text from Hannibal.

**From: Hannibal**

_ Good morning, Will. Would you like to join me for lunch today if you're not too busy? _

A grin made its way into Will's face. How could he say no? He couldn't get enough of Hannibal. Work could wait, England could wait, the music centres could wait. Hell, the whole world could wait.

**To: Hannibal**

_ I'm not busy, where are we going? _

A moment later, Hannibal's reply made the phone beep again.

**From: Hannibal**

_ It's a surprise. Let me pick you up from the hotel. Does 12.30 sound good? _

Will couldn't stop smiling. After confirming the details with Hannibal, he got up from his bed and went to his ensuite to get ready for the day.

When he got out of the shower, Will turned on the TV, just to have some background noise as he got dressed.

_ "...the investigation. The F.B.I. is currently working on the crime scene. The body, found in an open field, seems to be another victim of the killer known as "The Minnesota Shrike", who has kidnapped 8 girls in the past 8 months." _

Will stopped dead in his tracks and turned to the TV, where the news anchor had already started explaining his next story. His blood was pumping wildly in his ears and the previous day's headache was coming back in full force. When he closed his eyes, Will saw the crime scene perfectly clear in his head. The victim, brown-haired, impaled on the antlers; the blood that was on each of the holes; the sun shining brightly, casting an almost angelic glow over the body and the ravens, standing proudly on top of the body.

"No no no no..." Will was pulling his hair hard with his hands. How could he know every single detail of this murder when not even the news had said them? 

Will crawled to where his phone was—the blinding pain behind his eyes and how nauseous he was feeling right now made it hard to stand up. He pressed call once he found the person he knew would make him feel better.

After a few rings, a velvet-like voice answered on the other end.

_ "Hello?" _ Just hearing Hannibal made Will's panic subside the tiniest bit.

"Hannibal, I... I..." Will was breathing fast and he couldn't form words.

_ "Will?" _ He could hear the evident concern in his voice. _ "Will, has something happened? Are you okay?" _

"I... Panic..." was all he could say.

_ "You're having a panic attack?" _ He must have made a sound that passed as an affirmation because then Hannibal said,  _ "Okay Will, I want you to concentrate on my voice and breathe. Can you do that?" _

Will took deep breaths and closed his eyes. The girl was still there in his mind.

_ "Now, just keep doing that, breathe deeply and listen to me, just listen to me, nothing else matters now, nothing else is important." He continued "Did I mention last night that my favourite city in the world is Florence? I used to spend whole days just walking and watching and getting lost. There's nothing like getting lost in Florence, even when you don't know where you are, there are still all sorts of beautiful things to see. My favourite thing in the city is the Uffizi Gallery, it contains the 'Primavera,' by Botticelli. Few things in this world manage to make me emotional. That painting is one of them. I would love to show you that painting one day, would you allow me to do it, Will?" _

Will smiled and realised what Hannibal had been doing all along. He had been trying to distract Will and he had been successful.

He took a deep shaky breath. "I would love to see Florence with you, Hannibal."

_ "Good." _ Will could hear the smile in the other man's voice.  _ "Are you feeling better? Do you want to cancel lunch? We could always reschedule for another day." _

"No it's... it's okay, Hannibal." A moment of silence passed. "I... Sorry for that, for the call, I didn't know what else to do."

_ "You don't need to apologise, Will. I'm glad you called. You can always call me, no matter what." _

"Yeah, I... Thanks. I am feeling better now. And I don't want to cancel, let's go have lunch."

He could hear Hannibal laugh.  _ "Very well, Will. I will be there to pick you up before you know it."  _

"I can't wait. Bye, Hannibal."

_ "Bye, Will." _

And with that, he hung up. Still with shaky legs, Will managed to get up and continued getting dressed. He could address this whole 'episode' later. Now though, he had to get ready for a date.

* * *

Hannibal looked Will up and down from where he was leaning against his car, looking casual in a maroon sweater, hands in his pockets.

A huge smile spread over Will's face when he saw Hannibal's hungry eyes. He knew the combo of tight jeans and his favourite orange shirt did wonders for his body.

"Good morning" he approached the other man and, unsure how to greet him, just stood awkwardly a few steps away. Thankfully, Hannibal wasn't as indecisive. He closed the distance between them and, placing a hand on the small of his back, gave Will a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Will. You look delightful today." 

Will felt the heat in his face as he blushed.

"Thank you. Uhm... you look great too."

"Thank you, Will. Shall we go?" Hannibal asked with a smile as he opened the car door for Will.

Once on the road they were both silent and Will suddenly felt very insecure. 

"Where are we.. Uhm, where are we going? I mean, not just right now... I know we just met but it doesn't feel like it. At least not for me. I feel like I've known you my whole life. I told you things about myself that I had never told anybody before, not even my dad." Will was looking at Hannibal expectantly.

"I know what you mean, Will. I am not usually one to invite someone I just met to my house and cook for them and yet, here we are. I too feel like I've known you forever." Hannibal smiled, eyes trained on the road in front of him. "However, this doesn't feel rushed, being with you makes me feel..." he paused, seemingly at a loss for words "It feels like somehow, I was meant to be with you all along."

Will smiled to himself, his chest filling with warmth.

He cleared his throat, trying not to get choked up when he said his next words "So, you said- you said you're taking me to your house?"

Hannibal smiled brightly once again and Will was struck with the unexpected certainty that he would never get tired of that smile.

* * *

"The food was delicious, Hannibal." Will learned back on his chair, enjoying the last sip of wine from his glass. He felt he was being treated like a king.

Hannibal dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand "It was nothing, really. Just a simple dish."

"Simple? Hannibal, this looks like it belongs on a museum, not on a plate! And that's coming from someone who has tasted some of the best food in England. Michelin star chefs have nothing on you." Will had been stunned by the beauty of the dish that had been served to him: thin slices of loin with a sauce of red fruits. There was even a rose made from a tomato, how could anyone even do that?

"I only serve the best for my guests of honour. You are definitely one, Will." Hannibal placed his hand on top of Will's and smiled, eyes shining.

"Thank you, Hannibal. I don't know what I did to deserve such attention, but I'll take it."

"I'm glad you see it that way. Now, would you like to join me in the salon for some whiskey?"

"That's an offer I can't refuse." Will stood up and was led by Hannibal to a beautiful room. There was a chimney in the middle of it and in front, a burgundy couch. The rest of the room was simple but stylish and in one of the corners was a harpsichord.Will instantly felt at home.

As Hannibal approached the bar and poured two glasses of whiskey, Will sat down on the couch and he caught a glimpse at the open books on top of the coffee table.

"Do you mind if I take a look at these books?" He asked.

"Not at all, take a look at anything you want." Hannibal answered.

The first book Will grabbed was open in a page that contained a drawing of a man with several injuries, knives, swords, spears and arrows coming in and out of him. Just one look at the drawing made Will's head spin once again. When he closed his eyes, what he saw this time were various images, instead of one like it had been that morning after hearing the news. 

He could see slices of a woman in between glass sheets; a young girl lying in a kitchen floor, throat cut and pouring out blood and next to her, a man bleeding out from several gunshots in his chest. Will screamed when he felt a blinding pain in his stomach, as if he was being cut open with a knife.

In an instant, he could feel Hannibal's hands on him.

"Will? Will, are you okay?"

He could only manage to say 'no' in a whisper before Hannibal was fully embracing him.

"Shh, shh. Just breathe, I've got you. It's okay, breathe Will. That's it."

Will could feel tears streaming down his face and he felt stupidly embarrassed. He tried telling Hannibal so but was dismissed immediately.

"It's okay, don't talk. Would you like to rest for a little while?"

Will said a small 'yes', and felt as Hannibal removed both their shoes.

Hannibal slowly moved so he was lying down on the couch, Will on top of him, head on his chest. He could feel himself getting calmer as Hannibal ran his hands gently through his back and head and, lulled by the soft melody the other man was humming, he managed to fall asleep.

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a blur. In between his work, meetings with Alana Bloom and his migraines returning, Will had barely had any time to see Hannibal. 

The day they had lunch at Hannibal's house they both said their goodbyes (a very embarrassed one on Will's part) with a promise to see more of each other before they ran out of time. Will had said he could stay in Baltimore for linger than planned but still, he had to go back to London eventually. Just the thought of being that far away from Hannibal made his stomach churn uncomfortably. Now that the man had made his way into his life, Will was going to make sure he stayed in it permanently. 

Both men had been so busy that they had only seen each other a handful of times since that lunch; another stroll through the park, a few dinners at upscale restaurants, one simpler dinner at a pub (as per Will's request and insistence) and not much else.

Every single minute spent with Hannibal was an adventure in and of itself. The man always had a clever thing to say, a story about a walk in the moonlight alongside the Seine or about an art gallery full of breathtaking paintings in Eastern Europe or something of the sort.

Not only was he refreshingly interesting, he was also funny and treated Will like he had hung the stars.

What Will had felt that night while they were both sitting in a bench in the park kept growing and growing inside of him, like vines that were overtaking every single inch of his body, mind and soul. He was falling for Hannibal, and he was falling hard and fast. Sometimes he had the feeling the other man was falling too. Other times, though, he looked at Will with a strange look, like something wasn't completely okay with him. 

Will didn't know what terrified him more: the hunger he saw in Hannibal's eyes when he thought he loved him, or the curiosity he saw when he thought he didn't.

Either way, he would have to tell him, for the vines were threatening to suffocate him if he didn't.

———————--

It had been almost a week since the last time he had seen Hannibal and Will was about to lose it. The dreams had come back in full swing and they still had a few things in common: the man, and the blood. There was always blood everywhere and he still couldn't see the man's face. After a while though, he realised he was looking forward to dreaming about him. He craved the feeling of absolute power he had when he saw that man, he longed for the same freedom he experienced with him and most of all, he awaited the moment every single thing would be covered in red, the moment both him and the figure would be dripping with blood and melt in an embrace that finally saw them as one.

Will was terrified. He didn't know what this meant for him, why he craved to see blood and why he was feeling this way about the other man at the same time he was falling for Hannibal. It was like there were two men co-existing inside of him. One man was scared he was geting too caught up in a fantasy, scared he would do something reckless and possibly dangerous and the other man was willing to do anything to feel powerful again, even if it meant harming someone else.

So, as every good Englishman would do, Will tried to bury all of his feelings deep inside a dark corner of his mind and focused on his work. Right now though, it wasn't proving to be the right thing for him. Will was getting sick of pretending he was okay. He was sick of pretending he could hide what he felt and it was driving him crazy. 

Laying on the floor of his suite, papers all around him, Will was working tirelessly until he felt a sharp burst of pain on his forehead and a fierce need to see blood came over him. Almost as if in a trance, Will got up quickly and almost ran towards the bathroom, snatching a glass from his bedside table. 

More sure of himself than he had probably ever been before, Will smashed the glass in the bathtub and, kneeling next to it, grabbed the biggest piece of glass he could find.

Huffing a laugh, he pressed the sharpest tip of the shard into the palm of his hand and sliced a big cut into it. 

Then, blood started pouring out like a tiny waterfall. Will was enthralled by it. He took a deep breath and watched calmly as his blood dripped into the bathtub, swirling in beautiful patterns as it went down the drain.

A moment later though, the trance broke and Will panicked.

"No no no no..." He stood up hastily and grabbed a towel to wrap around his hand. "What am I doing?" He ran towards the phone and called reception, making up a story of how he had taken a glass to the bathroom, dropped it by accident and cut himself trying to pick up the shards.

In an instant there was a doctor next to him, cleaning and bandaging up his wound and a maid was cleaning the mess he had made in the bathroom.

———————--

Later that night, when he had calmed down a bit, Will decided to do the only thing he knew would help him feel better: pay Hannibal a visit.

He decided to surprise him so he didn't call beforehand. By now, even though Will still didn't know his way around Baltimore, he had Hannibal's address memorised, so he hired a taxi and went to his house.

When he got there, Will knocked the door but received no answer. He could see some lights on the top floor so he knew Hannibal was home.

He was making his way to the side of the house when he heard it: a loud crash coming from the kitchen. Will ran to the back door and found it open. His heart skipped a beat. If something happened to Hannibal... He couldn't even finish the thought in fear that it would become real if he did.

He entered slowly and found a scene that made his stomach churn. Hannibal was trying to defend himself from a man in front of him with a chopping board. His hair was disheveled, there was a cut on his lip and his arm was bleeding. For a fleeting moment, Will thought he had never seen anyone more beautiful.

Now was not the time to think about that. Now was the time for action. Hannibal briefly saw Will behind the other man who was holding a knife, but made no move to acknowledge his presence, except for the tiniest twitch on his lip.

Will decided to help and shouted "Hey! Over here!"

When the man turned around briefly to look at whoever it was that had spoken, Hannibal took advantage of his brief distraction and struck him on the head with the wooden board. That made him lose balance for an instant but he immediately charged back against Hannibal and stabbed him on his stomach.

Before he could strike again though, Will grabbed the big knife on the countertop and plunged it in the man's back. He screamed in pain and dropped the knife he was holding. Hannibal seized it and backed him against a side wall so that him and Will would be side by side. 

The man punched Will in the jaw and he retaliated by sticking the knife deep into the man's chest. When he was falling to the floor, powerless, Hannibal sliced his throat open and blood poured out like a cascade, bathing the two of them.

The man finally fell down on his back with a thump and Will finally saw his face clearly.

"No. That's..." His head was spinning. Suddenly, everything came back.

"Will?" He grabbed the counter to stop himself from falling due to his shaky legs. Hannibal was right next to him in an instant, supporting his body weight.

"Francis Dolarhyde." Will blurted out.

Hannibal smiled "Yes. It is Francis Dolarhyde. Do you know who you are. Will? Do you remember?"

Will looked into Hannibal's eyes. He remembered. He remembered Garret Jacob-Hobbs, Abigail, Chilton and Jack Crawford, Beverly, the Chesapeake Ripper, the encephalitis, everything.

"What...?" Will's throat was dry "What happened? How could I remember that? I know I lived it but I... I lived in England, I'm an architect. That happened too, right?"

"I can't fully understand what has happened but I believe we have lived our lives twice."

"Wh- how?" Will looked at The Red Dragon in a pool of blood in the floor and realised his dreams had been actually memories. "Oh..." His eyes filled with tears. "It was you. I've been dreaming about you for a while now. Of that moment on the cliff house, of how beautiful it was to kill the Dragon together. I couldn't see your face and it was driving me mad but now I know. I've been remembering you in my dreams."

"My dear boy." Hannibal caressed Will's cheek softly. "As for me, I haven't had any dream but I remembered our past lives the instant I laid eyes on you in that gala. I don't know how this could have happened, all I know is that I'm glad it did."

"If you remembered, how come you didn't say anything?"

"My beloved, would you have believed me if I had told you?" Will thought for an instant and shook his head "Besides, I did send you a message."

Will furrowed his brow until it dawned on him "Cassie Boyle."

Hannibal smiled once again and pressed Will tighter "What a cunning boy you are. Did you like my present?"

Will smashed his lips to Hannibal and kissed him passionately, the taste of blood on their lips making the kiss even more special. 

When they pulled apart, Will looked at Hannibal and found there everything he ever wanted. Hannibal was his love, his life, his soulmate, his world.

"It's beautiful."


	2. There's a fire inside this heart

** _One year later..._ ** ****

As the day was coming to an end, Will’s mind was focused on one thing and one thing only: coming back home. It had been a busy week and Will had been really looking forward to the weekend and finally getting free time to spend with his family. 'His family', smiled at the thought. After living through two lives mostly on his own, knowing that he had people he could call family made him incredibly happy.

As he got through the hectic London traffic, Will reflected on everything he and Hannibal had to live to get to where they are now.

** **

_ Two months after their second encounter with The Dragon, Will was still in Baltimore, except that now his belongings had been moved to Hannibal's house instead of being at the hotel. _

_ One morning, as he and Hannibal were about to leave bed to cook breakfast, they heard the doorbell ring. _

_ Furrowing his brow, Will asked "Were you expecting someone? Isn't it a little early for visits?" _

_ "I'm not expecting anyone, no." Hannibal answered and got out of bed to get dressed "I'm going to open the door, you should get dressed as well if you want to have breakfast with me." _

_ Will rolled his eyes "Yes, mum, I'm coming." _

_ Once Hannibal was out of the room, Will got up and changed into comfy sweatpants and a t-shirt and made his way to the door to see who it was. _

_ When he got to where Hannibal was, he saw he was hugging someone. As they separated, Will stopped dead in his tracks. _

_ "Abigail?" Will croaked out. There, right in front of him, stood Abigail Hobbs. Alive. Looking at him with tears in her eyes. _

_ "Will" she whispered softly and in an instant Will was met with a strong hug from the girl, who was now crying on his shoulder. He held onto her tightly and glanced at Hannibal who was watching at them with the fondest of smiles. _

_ When she pulled apart, she wiped her eyes and turned to Hannibal "I hope you don't mind this" she motioned to a suitcase on the doorway. _

_ "Not at all, darling" Hannibal moved to get the suitcase and close the door "But we need an explanation as to why you're here. Clearly you also remember our past lives, otherwise you wouldn't have even known our names in this new one." _

_ "Ah yes... our past lives" she smiled and an instant later she furrowed her brow "I will explain how I got here if you explain why you killed me." _

_ Hannibal looked almost... guilty? Will was sure he had never seen Hannibal look guilty about anything he had ever done before. Then again, he supposed if there was anything Hannibal regretted doing, then it had to be killing Abigail. Still, it was a strange sight. Will wasn't sure he liked it. _

_ "My dear" Hannibal started "I am so sorry. I truly am. There hasn't been a moment since that day that I don't wish I hadn't killed you. Will you ever forgive me?" _

_ Abigail looked at him fondly "Hannibal..." she approached him and caressed his cheek, he leaned into the touch "Ever since I realised what was happening, I tried to look for you, for the both of you. All I ever wanted was for us to be a family. Nothing you do will ever make me not want to be your family. I've forgiven you long ago." _

_ Hannibal took Abigail's hand from his face, placed it between his and kissed it softly "I promise I will never let anything hurt you anymore. You have my word." Hannibal looked on the verge of tears "Now, why don't we go talk about all this over breakfast? I don't know about you but I'm starving." _

** **

Abigail had explained how, after seeing Cassie Boyle's murder on the news, she too had remembered everything about her past life. She had tried reaching out to Will and Hannibal but wasn't sure if they'd also remember. So, she decided to confront her father on his crimes. This time though, she was ready for anything and when Garret Jacob Hobbs attacked her after killing her mother, she struck back (Hannibal may have taught her a thing or two about attacking someone) and killed him instead. There was one thing that seemed inevitable though, no matter what life she was living, her father always cut her throat. Luckily, Abigail hadn't left any loose ends and had already called the police before all if that happened.

It had taken her a while to recover from that same injury again and all of the therapy that followed. As soon as she was fully recovered and her psychiatrists thought she was emotionally and mentally stable (of course she was, she had already gone through it once), she was discharged and set out to find Hannibal and Will.

She was sad to find that Will lived in England but was so happy when she found out Hannibal was in Baltimore. 

After that morning, Abigail moved in with them as well and their life as a family began. Will had always imagined how his life with Abigail and Hannibal would be. He had caught a glimpse of his ‘what if’ for an instant in Hannibal’s kitchen when he saw the girl had been alive all along. However, nothing could have prepared him for what it was really like. He had never experienced such happiness, such freedom. He felt as if everything he had done was meant to bring him to that very house, with those people, in that exact time. When he had those dreams (or memories) about Hannibal and him killing the dragon, he had craved the sense of being complete that had overwhelmed him when he had embraced Hannibal. Now that he knew that had actually happened, he was certain this was a million times better. Yes, he felt complete and Hannibal was the one who made him feel that way but they would never be complete without Abigail. She was the one who held the family together. She was a happy girl and her joy was infectious. In this life, Abigail was finally free of regret and guilt, much as Will was. They had both learned to accept themselves as they were and in turn, they had all accepted each other as well. It was incredibly freeing

Will was fast approaching his house in one of the quietest areas of London and couldn't believe they ended up living in a place like this and that they would have normal lives and all the happiness it had brought them.

** **

_ A few months after Abigail had moved in, Will had had to fly to London to attend to some urgent business there and, when he returned to Baltimore, he felt relieved to finally be back with the love of his life. _

_ After crossing the threshold to Hannibal's house, Will noticed that the place was submerged in complete darkness, save for a few candles here and there that gave an eerie vibe, it reminded Will of the Lecter castle and he briefly wondered how that place looked in this reality. _

_ "Hello?" Will called into the seemingly empty house, dropping his bags next to the door. "Is anyone home?" _

_ "Hello, dad." Abigail entered the hall with a smile, dressed in a beautiful dark red dress. _

_ "Hey kid. Why are you dressed like that?" He asked, confused. _

_ "You'll see." She extended her hand for him to take. "Come on, we have something prepared for you." _

_ Still confused, Will let himself be dragged to their living room, a place he wouldn't have recognised if he didn't know this house like the palm of his hand. Every piece of furniture had been removed, except for the harpsichord, of course: the chimney was on and it's fire was the only thing that illuminated the place. Soft music was playing from the stereo and in the middle of the room stood Hannibal, dressed impeccably in a tux, hair slicked back and a smile on his face. Will's heart skipped a beat, he looked absolutely gorgeous. _

_ "Hello, Will." _

_ "Hello, Hannibal. What's all this?" He approached the other man as Abigail stood on the side of the room, leaving them both in front of the chimney. _

_ "This is for you, my darling. I wanted to surprise you." Will glanced at Abigail, remembering the words uttered in Hannibal's kitchen a lifetime ago. "My dear boy, we have been through too much on our previous life and again on this one. I don't know what miracle happened after we first killed Francis Dolarhyde but I am thankful for it. Our first time was full of mistakes, of deceptions and lies. I want this time to be full of nothing but honesty and love." Hannibal held Will's hands in his before continuing "I turned myself in so that you would always know where I was because after leaving for Europe I realised I couldn't bear to be away from you anymore and the universe doesn't seem to bear it either because here we are, with a new chance to make things right. A chance to always be together, to have our own family once and for all." Hannibal got down on one knee and Will sucked in a breath. "My clever boy. You have changed me in ways I never thought possible. You have changed my life and filled it with happiness like I had never known. If the universe wants us to be together, who are we to deny it? I love you. I have always loved you and I will always love you. I intend to spend forever trying to show you that, will you do me the honour of becoming my husband?" He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a ring with a black rim and red in the middle. Will thought it looked like blood and it made him tear up. _

_ "Will?" Hannibal asked. He realised he hadn't said anything yet. Both Hannibal and Abigail were looking at him expectantly. _

_ "Of course I will, Hannibal." By the time Hannibal stood up and pulled him into a hug, Will was full on crying. Hannibal then let go of him, placed the beautiful ring that seemed like it held a blood vial on his finger and kissed him with such fervour that left Will breathless. He could hear Abigail sobbing behind him. _

_ "Come here, kid." Will said after pulling away from Hannibal. Abigail approached them and joined their embrace. _

** **

Will placed a hand on the doorknob to get inside his house and saw as the sun shone on his wedding band, a thin black ring that matches perfectly with his engagement one, right underneath it. He thought about his wedding/honeymoon/family vacation. The three of them flew all the way to Florence and had the wedding there. Hannibal fulfilled his promise and showed Will around the city. No hidden knives, no plans to eat the other’s brain this time. Florence had gained a new meaning. What once had been a place where Will had felt nothing but sadness, now was one of the happiest memories he had ever had, in this life or the previous one.

Once inside, Will removed his coat, jacket, tie and shoes and heard music coming from the backyard. He left his briefcase next to the door and made his way outside, running a hand over the harpsichord that was in Hannibal's home in Baltimore as he exited the house. 

After getting married, Hannibal insisted they should all move to England. Will enjoyed being an architect and most of his work was London based. So, Will finished the music centre project in Baltimore, sold his apartment in Soho and bought a house for him, Hannibal and Abigail. 

Hannibal didn't sell his house in Baltimore in case they wanted to go back one day. He had insisted he could be a musician anywhere but Will's company would only ever be in London. Of course, the harpsichord made its way across the Atlantic with them.

Abigail would be starting university in a few months and the two men were already beginning to miss her.

So when Will went outside and saw his husband and his daughter sitting comfortably in their armchairs and talking happily, he was not surprised at all. They all wanted to spend as much time together as they could before Abigail left. Of course, she would be just a short drive away but still, it wouldn't be the same.

"Hello, darling" Will greeted his husband with a peck on the lips, made his way towards Abigail and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Hi, kid. How are you today?"

"We were discussing music. Abigail insists I should give modern artists a try. I keep telling her that could hardly be called music." Hannibal said from his seat, his tousled hair falling over his eyes, shining in the sun.

"I'm just saying, how could you dislike them if you haven't even listened to them?" Abigail counteracted.

Will sat down and closed his eyes, letting himself feel the warmth of the sun on his face as his family laughed around him. He still couldn't explain why all of this had happened, why he was given a second chance at having these two amazing people next to him at all times. One thing was for sure: this time, he wouldn't let any of them go.


End file.
